Warning:
If you've given up sweets for Lent, you might want to skip this post.
Yesterday, while the snow fell fast and furious, I stayed in my warm kitchen and baked some delicious cookies: Homemade Samoa Bars.
Yum, yum, yummy.
(And I don't even really like coconut but these cookies are goooood.)
Last week, a co-worker of Bill's brought in a batch of homemade Samoas - and he was able to snag an extra one for me to try. Well, let me tell you, Ellen's Samoa looked just like the kind that comes out of the box - only prettier - and the taste! Oh my, the taste. She forwarded Bill the recipe because she knows how much I love to bake, and as I looked it over, I noticed a nifty variation for bar cookies - as opposed to cut-out shapes. So much less fiddling and all the same great taste.
Here's the how it all went down.
I started by creaming 2 sticks of unsalted butter with 1/2 cup of sugar. Next I beat in 1 large room temperature egg and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. (Now I made a mistake here; the recipe actually only calls for 1 1/2 sticks - but somehow I got carried away. The shortbread crust still came out nicely.)
It baked, in a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan for 25 minutes at 350 F.
While the crust cooled on a wire rack, prepared the coconut. I've never toasted coconut before - it's kind of fun! I felt very much like the Barefoot Contessa, especially when Earlybird walked in, got a look at what I was doing, and promptly asked to watch Ina. :)
First I spread out 3 cups of Baker's "angel-flake, sweetened" coconut evenly on a cookie sheet (lined with a Silpat). I then toasted it at 300 F for 20 minutes, stirring lightly every 5 minutes or so.
It made the kitchen smell really nice.
While the coconut and shortbread crust cooled, I set the boys to work on the caramels. Their nimble little fingers unwrapped approximately 12 ounces of chewy caramels, tossing them in a Pyrex bowl. (I say approximately because the bag contained 14 ounces and we weren't too scientific about it. I just set aside a handful of candies and we worked with the rest.)
I added 3 Tbsp. milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the caramels and microwaved them for 3 1/2 minutes. (Stirring a few times as they cooked.) After the caramels were melted completely I folded in the toasted coconut ...
And then spread this mixture on top of the cooled shortbread crust.
Once the topping was cool, I cut the whole shebang into bars ...
... and then prepared the chocolate.
I microwaved 10 ounces of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips till smooth. (I actually melted the whole 12 oz. bag.) I dipped the bottom of each bar into the melted chocolate and then drizzled chocolate over the tops of the cookies (using a handy-dandy ziploc bag snipped at the corner).
A little while later the chocolate had set and the bars were ready to eat (and photograph).
They might not look exactly like a Samoa but they do taste awfully good.
Next up, I aim to try Thin Mints. I'll let you know how they go ...
As soon as I saw your delicious looking homemade Samoas pictures, I had to run out and stock up on supplies. Spent all morning making them and they are so good. Samoas are my family's all-time favorite G.S. cookie. My dad just took a box to my grandpa in the nursing home and he had no trouble eating the entire box! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Cherice | March 12, 2009 at 12:36 PM
These Samoas look yummy, even as I eat a thick strawberry milk shake from Sonic:-)
Your blog is lovely. I found my way here from the Catholic Blog Directory because I thought the name sounded beautiful. I enjoyed seeing your photos. I enjoyed reading about the children's books. (My favorite author/illustrator is Jan Brett.)
We DO have signs of spring although the weather has gotten colder since yesterday. But forsythia is blooming, as are daffodils, hyacinths, and assorted fruit trees. Hopefully they will not freeze.
I will bookmark your site and come back again. Thank you for sharing. God bless.
Posted by: Kay | March 11, 2009 at 06:59 PM
I definitely plan on trying these - yum!
Posted by: stephanie | March 11, 2009 at 07:26 AM
Thank you for sharing! We started Feingold a couple of weeks ago and, naturally, it was right around the time Girl Scout cookies started appearing. My kids have been begging for something they can have.
Posted by: Casey | March 11, 2009 at 07:11 AM
Oh. My. Goodness. How did you know that these are my absolute favorite cookies? AND that I was just thinking about searching for a recipe! Boy, I wish I wasn't on a diet! Maybe just one wouldn't hurt! :)
P.S. Does anyone still call them Caramel Delights?
Posted by: Shelly | March 10, 2009 at 11:44 PM
Oh my Dawn. These look wonderful. I think we will make these this weekend. Yum!
Posted by: Stephanie | March 10, 2009 at 09:38 PM
Oh my gosh Dawn.....what are you trying to do to us all. How I wish sometimes your camera would run out of batteries. Just kidding. I had to email the receipe to my mom. She loves coconut and chocolate. I am new to your blog and have been getting all sorts of ideas. I really like the tea and craft idea and plan on incorporating that into our weekly schedule. Ah but first I have to set up my crate and files. Thank you again for all your wonderful ideas and you truly are an inspiration!
Posted by: Dawn Vandemark | March 10, 2009 at 07:40 PM
I have three words for you. Bookmarking. Sharing. Drooling. ;o)
Posted by: Sue | March 10, 2009 at 07:22 PM
I am allergic to chocolate and don't like coconut, but those still look amazing!
Posted by: amy | March 10, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Actually, we like the Back to Nature fudge mint cookies better than Thin Mints -- they also have a peanut butter sandwich cookie that's so much better than the Do Si Dos the scouts here sell. We didn't even but any Thin Mints this year, in spite of the fact that my 2 daughters sold over 200 boxes of cookies -- it's so cheap and easy to go buy a box of better tasting cookies at Whole Foods.
But Samoas? I've never been able to find a substitute in the store. So this recipe is great news!
Posted by: GailV | March 10, 2009 at 06:20 PM
Oh wow, these look fabulous! Gotta try them!!!
Posted by: se7en | March 10, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Dawn ... all I can say is that I'm glad we suspend Lent every Sunday so I can make these and the Thin Mints! It would have been too cruel to wait till April 12th!
Thanks for sharing ....
Posted by: Mary G. | March 10, 2009 at 05:04 PM
Really? They really taste like Samoa's? Those are my FAVORITE. I am hoarding two boxes in the freezer right now. I printed off the recipe yesterday, but wanted to wait to read your review.
Posted by: Paula in MN | March 10, 2009 at 04:55 PM
Many thanks to you and Ellen! We loved these when we lived in the U.S. but the Girl Guides here in Canada don't sell either these OR Thin Mints ( I know, it's appalling). I can't wait to surprise my husband!
Posted by: Constance | March 10, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Those look so so so good. Thanks for the recipe!
Posted by: Jennifer | March 10, 2009 at 03:22 PM
Dawn,
Those look delicious! I'm not a big coconut person either...but these I will have to try. Thanks for sharing....Thanks to Ellen also!
Posted by: Nancy | March 10, 2009 at 03:14 PM
Dawn, Your bars were FAR better than my cookies! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Ellen | March 10, 2009 at 02:38 PM